In Times of Trouble
by KiahTrickster
Summary: When two young children go missing from a family camping trip a community rallies together. Pushing against the clock and the elements as survival skills are tested.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This will just be a short one, it is not related to Bonds of Blood.

General Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter One

It was a warm spring day, a PA day meant the kids had a long weekend and Lou had come home, taking Georgie and Katie out for the day. Ty and Amy were out and about somewhere; leaving the ranch to them for the day. Jack Bartlett didn't mind that at all, he loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren but a day at home with his wife was special.

Lisa had just gotten home from France and while it had been a short trip, they had missed each other. But it was good for her business, and the trip had gone well, she had sold rather than bought; even if one sale surprised him.

Alberta Wind had been hot every season she had been on the track, the horse had made enough money in their season that she had sent the mare to France to race for the winter; he hadn't expected her to come home without it. Lisa needed a new mount herself and had been talking about keeping the mare when she was done, for brood stock and enjoyment.

"It was a deal I couldn't pass up, and Wind is four now, she brought home some of the top prizes and the offer was more than I would have asked. I've sold to Maria before, she is an excellent young trainer and if she is serious about making this happen, she needs good bloodlines of her own." Lisa passed him a glass of tea as she joined him on the couch.

"So, what will you do for a horse?" Lisa bred and sold thoroughbreds, but usually didn't ride them; preferring more relaxed temperaments. She usually didn't keep a horse that long either and Jack sometimes wondered if there was a reason.

"I've got some sales coming up, I'll keep my eyes open." She shrugged.

"You know Amy's got a horse she's been trying re-home, sweet little mare." Well, with an experienced rider, the little horse had been seized by the humane society as a two-year-old and was skittish around men. There was a special place for the man who had torn up that filly's mouth and traumatized her. Twice Amy had found her a place only to have her come back.

First because the little horse was not friendly enough and the second time because the young owner, supposedly an experienced rider, found her hard to handle; his granddaughter had to start over each time.

"Jack, I'll find a horse. If I'm going to be home more, I want something a little more flexible; at least comfortable mixing saddles." Lisa leaned I to his side as he hid his grin; they'd been talking about that for awhile.

Lisa would always go to France a few times a year, but it was the market in the states that was growing, anymore it had representatives from all over the world; and Jack could be convinced to go if they drove down. That was an idea that appealed to both of them; he wasn't the only one bothered by her absences.

"I think you should try her; she gets on well with Buddy." And he had been trying to help Amy change the little horse's mind about men; she no longer panicked when he passed her stall or led her out to pasture. His wife only rolled her eyes, Jack smiled; that was a yes. "We'll take her out for a ride and let the two of you get to know each other."

"Your horse likes her?" Lisa eyes him with amusement, probably thinking he was going soft on her; but Buddy hadn't formed a tight bond with another horse since Bear. Her hand slid up his thigh as she rested her cheek against his chest. "Later, it is nice to just sit."

He smirked a little, she had come home to jump back into child care with Lyndy during the day and Katie in the mornings and evenings. Whether she admitted it or not she was fighting jet lag; tossing and turning next to him the past three nights.

He rubbed her back, silence between them comfortable as Jack listened to her soft breathing; she was going to drift off.

And then the screen door slammed, and she startled as Katie came charging in; the little girl looked unhappy. Pausing barely a moment before climbing into his lap. "Abraham and Cyla are lost."

"Who is Cyla?" Lisa asked, concern evident on her face; Abraham was one of the first friends Katie had made when she started school.

"Abraham's cousin. She's only five." Georgie looked worried to as she leaned over the couch. "Their family went camping for the weekend, the kids wandered away from the camp this morning; they haven't found them yet."

His frown deepened, and Jack eased Katie from his lap as he rose; eyes seeking his granddaughter. They knew the fear of not knowing where one of the kids was, but for them it had turned out alright; things didn't always work out that way.

"They were camping up in the provincial park. We stopped at the diner on the way home; they are trying to get volunteers together." Lou sighed, and he nodded, two children alone in the mountains was not good; and it was already mid afternoon.

"It's about a two-hour drive." Lisa murmured, phone in her hand, probably looking at some post online.

"Are we going?" Georgie looked between him and her mother; Jack barely nodded. "Should we take the horses?"

"I don't know about that." It would be a lot of work to trailer them up, but it was rough country, a sure-footed horse could take a much bigger stride than any of them.

"It's a good idea." Amy commented as she and Ty joined them. "The horses will pick up on things we don't, and carry blankets, water; anything those kids might need."

Jack was silent a moment, considering all of it. They needed people to join the search, and two scared kids might be hard to find; it was a big area. But while the sun was starting to set later, they still had a limited amount of daylight; they needed to get moving.

"We need supplies for us and the horses." Jack glanced at his wife for confirmation and they all began moving.

Lou would stay home with Katie and Lyndy while the rest of them went. Lisa volunteered a rig she had purchased for Fairfield and Ty went to get it; they would still need two trailers. And supplies for five horses and humans.

Jack nodded, his mind running through a checklist of what they needed and what could get them into trouble. He had been up there fishing a time or two, he prayed those kids stayed away from the water.

In the barn he helped Amy load Spartan and Phoenix into one trailer along with some extra supplies for the horses. "Load Sable with Buddy; Lisa can ride her."

"Grandpa..." Amy did not sound confident but did as asked as he took down a saddle for the mare.

Amy had worked hard with the little horse, it was time to see if she could forge a bond with a new rider; and she would have her friend nearby.

Lisa and Lou had filled saddle bags with water, snacks and first aid kits, setting out warm sweaters for all of them.

Georgie elected to ride with Amy and Ty, so he led in Lisa's rig; roads up there might not be too good yet. And as they wound their way into the mountains he was proven right. There were RCMP officers and park rangers set up under a pavilion near the parking lot. The girl on the gate waved them through but he had expected more vehicles; and more searchers.

The girls unloaded the horses as he crossed to speak to the officers coordinating the search; Ty at his shoulder. Officers were fanning out from the campsite, areas searched were marked on the map; Jack frowned they had covered a lot of ground. Were two scared kids likely to keep wandering or hole up and wait when they realized they were in trouble.

"The kids wandered ahead when they were hiking, when they realized the couldn't find them the older kids bikes back to the camp for help; our search area is inexact." The officer commented, he must have realized Jack's training of thought.

"Our horses will have an easier time in the hills then your men will; we can split into teams and head to that section." The RCMP's version of events was a little different then the one they had initially gotten; that complicated things a little.

"Amy and I can sweep north." Ty offered.

"We'll follow the river." Jack agreed, he would rather be on that stretch then send those two down that way; the river would be high, and he didn't like to think what they might find. "Take Georgie with you."

Ty nodded, the young man knew what he was thinking, they wouldn't say anything to the girls; he wouldn't need to say anything to Lisa. He returned to the trailer and tacked Buddy, wrapping his legs for added protection in the woods; everyone else was doing the same.

"How many people are searching?" Georgie asked as they all mounted up.

"Right now, it is mostly RCMP and parks services; I'm sure more will come if needed." Ty glanced to him as he answered; it was a bit of a needle in a haystack.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Turning Spartan so that he was clear of the group Amy watched as Lisa prepared to mount. Sable was a sweet little mare, but she had been through a lot, and Amy still wasn't sure what kept setting her back. She knew Lisa could ride, and that her grandpa would be watching for problems; Grandpa and Buddy had helped Sable make a lot of progress. But even so, if the partnership didn't work there weren't a lot of options when they were out here.

"They'll be fine." Ty glanced at her, able to tell exactly where her mind was. "Lisa will give her a chance, that's what she really needs."

She nodded, turning her attention to the bush, as they put a little distance between each other and swept through their area; she could hear other searchers calling the kids names as well.

Her chest felt tight, she knew what it felt like to hear that a child was lost but as a parent it was more intense; even if her daughter was safe at home. They had fanned out from a trail and moved through the trees, she watched Spartan's ears, he would be aware of the kids, or anything else nearby well before she was.

The ground was soft from the spring rain, but she didn't see any footprints, or signs of the kids; though there were some other tracks. The afternoon wore on and she began to hope the radio would chirp, that someone had found the kids before they lost the light.

Cresting a rise Georgie pointed down towards the river and through the trees she spotted Grandpa and Lisa, her grandpa leaned forward in his saddle, one arm resting on the horn; they were already at the trail that marked the end of their search grid. Georgie and Phoenix picked their way down, calling for Cyla and Abraham again as she and Ty followed.

Amy had let the teenager do most of the yelling, she had been watching Spartan and the landscape around them; looking for any signs that someone had already been through here. As they approached, she turned Spartan in next to Sable, glancing at Lisa.

The woman's tack was a bit of a mix given the mare didn't neck rein yet but for this terrain Grandpa had wanted Lisa in a western saddle. "How is she doing?"

"Good." Lisa replied, but her tone was a little tight, even as she patted the horse's shoulder. "You guys didn't see any sign of them?"

Amy only shook her head, but their section was only the riverbank; a small section of the area. Grandpa had got his hands on a map of the park somehow and Ty had eased in beside him, she missed what had been said but she knew both of those men; they were worried about something.

"We saw a lot of tracks, something is coming down to drink at the river." Lisa murmured quietly, and Amy felt her gut tighten, she had seen tracks too and thought they were wolf; maybe it would be better if the kids were out here alone.

"We don't have much light left." Grandpa sighed, it had taken several hours to sweep this section and as if on cue the radio chirped; calling for searchers to head in. "Let's shift over and we'll do another pass as we head in."

"We can't just go back." Georgie protested. "We have to…"

"We can't stay out here after dark, we would be putting ourselves and the horses in danger." But by his face she knew her grandpa didn't like it anymore than Georgie did.

As they headed in Georgie shifted to join Grandpa and Lisa, so she stayed close to Ty. They picked their way slowly through the trees, Amy felt her hopes jump as Spartan's ears started going, listening to something on the right and trying to get a look.

"Ty, over here." Were the kids hiding from all the strangers' voices calling for them or afraid that they would be in trouble?

Her husband swung down tying his horse to a nearby tree as he went to investigate, Spartan shifted as she followed, eyes still wide and ears swiveling. Amy called out their names again as she started up the hill, her own eyes scanning, there were so many places for them to be.

The kids had just set out on an adventure this morning, hoping to have some fun; they would never have thought this would happen. Now, if they weren't found by searchers heading in, they could face a night out here on their own.

"Amy. Stay there." Ty was farther up the hill and tension had crept into his voice but as she looked up at him, she realized why; he was approaching a den.

She squeezed her hands together and he knelt to peer in, staying off to one side in an effort to protect himself; there was little else he could do.

Then he rose. "It's empty, looks like it might have been abandoned. I heard some chatter about another east of here."

She only nodded, that confirmed what Grandpa thought about there being predators around here. Ty wrapped an arm around her, sensing her worries. "We're going to find them; if not us then one of the other teams."

"I know, I just keep thinking about Lyndy." Amy admitted, it felt selfish somehow, but she couldn't stop her mind from going back to their like girl.

"Me too. I can't imagine what those parents are feeling right now; it's different having our own child." He pulled her closer and Amy closed her eyes for a moment, soaking in his strength.

…

Something about this didn't seem right, they were a good distance from the camp site and eyeing the little map he had picked up he couldn't see anything that would interest some kids up here; it was mostly trails winding between campsites. But they had an easier time of it in the bush, there were fewer obstacles than along the river.

Lisa and Sable stayed a pace or two away as they wove through the trees, his wife kept her reins loose and used small motions to instruct the mare; her hands steady from the English riding she preferred. He'd seen them have a few moments and Lisa had commented on just how sensitive the mare's mouth was; but they moved well together.

"You've got that look again." Lisa jerked him from his thoughts as they came onto another trail, drawing the horses up to get their bearings and wait for Georgie to emerge further up.

"Other than animal tracks I haven't seen any sign of life and kids leave plenty; they don't know how not too." Jack admitted. "And I can't see where they would have been heading."

"They may have just been exploring." Lisa observed.

"Maybe but it's more likely they'd set out somewhere. There is a playground down by the rest area, but most of the other activities and sights aren't available yet; it's too early in the season." He muttered, hearing Georgie call the kids names again; she was close now.

"So?" His wife prompted.

"Maybe we stay up here tonight. The Mounties will have people at the camp site in case they find their way back, but we could take another. Voices would carry at night, if they are still wandering around nearby they might stumble into us. And we'll be here at dawn." He knew they couldn't keep searching through the night, it would just put more people at risk, the Mounties might try; but they'd have the equipment to do it.

"I'll call Lou when we get to the trailers and see if she can bring us some supplies." Lisa agreed, and he smiled a little, she didn't hesitate, even if she wasn't fond of camping.

They both paused as a pair of officers on foot emerged from the bush near them. The men turned towards them. "You folks heading in?"

"We are, we didn't know we had help in this section." He was seriously questioning this search grid.

"You don't, there was a report of a wolf den a little way east of here, we were just looking for any signs; no luck though." The men joined them, and Sable tried to sidle away; one reached out to pat her. "It sure must help having these guys."

The mare snorted, raising her head, eyes wide, and before Jack could tell him to give her some space she twisted and backed up fast, when the officer grabbed the reins Sable pulled against him and dumped Lisa in the dirt.

"Whoa, she's high strung." The young man who clearly didn't know how to handle horses eyed the mare now watching them from the trees.

"Best not to grab onto somebody else's horse." Jack said tightly, swinging down to help Lisa up; his wife glared at the young officer.

"Right, is she okay?"

"I'm fine." Lisa responded quickly, brushing dirt from her jeans as Jack looked her over; at least she hadn't hit her head. "Let me get her."

She looked a little stiff as she moved towards the mare, but the horse let her catch it, even if she did hesitate before letting Lisa lead her back onto the trail. Prancing at the slightest movement of her reins. Buddy turned towards her, as though sympathizing with his friend and Jack kept Lisa between him and the mare; with his body between her and the officers. Georgie surfaced and joined them, Phoenix as reliable as ever as the teenager frowned at the situation.

"We better keep going, we want to get our horses in the trailer before we lose the light completely." Jack waited for the men to head off before turning to his wife. "You're sure you are okay?"

"I'm fine, she's been touchy all afternoon; she really doesn't like having that bit in her mouth." Lisa patted the horse's neck, shrugging off his concern.

"Somebody gave her a good reason to, gave her a reason not to like men either; doesn't seem to mind you though." He rested his palm on her back, it wasn't the time to push the mare even if she had gotten to know him. "Amy might have some ideas for her mouth."

"I'll ask, but we better head back." Lisa sighed. He nodded and stooped, pressing a hand to her knee; giving her a leg up.

Then mounted himself, Buddy waited patiently for his cue to head out. Weaving back through the bush Georgie drew alongside him, they were approaching the rest area and voices carried to them, folks packing up; only the cops were staying.

"We can't leave them out there, Jack we can't." Georgie protested. "You didn't leave me when I ran away."

"We're not leaving." She was older now and had a better understanding of what people had been feeling when she's took off all those years ago, but she also had a better understanding of what those kids had to be feeling. "We'll find a camp site and get your mom to bring up some supplies, pick up again first thing."

Georgie nodded but did not look convinced and Lisa sidled over. "Maybe you two can go and see where they need us tomorrow; take a look at what has been done."

He nodded and when they dismounted Lisa took his reins; Georgie quickly loosened Phoenix's cinch and slipped his bridle for a halter. Jack gave his wife a quick glance and headed off with the teen; the RCMP were still gathered under the pavilion. And the officer showed Georgie the map, the teen leaned in, eager to listen; Jack stood back but he listened closely.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Lisa had all three horses tied to the side of the trailer as they drew up, the sun was nearly down. She paused, Sable had her ears pricked to Lisa, a sign the mare was interested in her; a good sign. She dismounted and scratched Spartan's neck as she loosened his cinch and bridle.

"I'll get them some water." Ty pressed a hand to her back and then stepped around her taking a bucket.

Amy unsaddled Spartan and began to brush him out as Ty held the bucket for each of their horses to have a drink. She bent to clean his hooves, a lot of the cars had pulled out.

"How was Sable?" She asked as Lisa hung up her phone.

"She did alright." The woman made a face before answering. And as she moved, resting a hand lightly on the mare's neck Amy saw that her jeans were muddy.

"You fell." Amy murmured, she knew Grandpa had been hoping that partnership would work, her hopes might have been up too.

"Not entirely her fault, and certainly not the first time I've had a spill. She really isn't fond of her bit." Lisa dismissed it, but Amy didn't relax, Lisa bought and sold thousand-dollar horses, she would spend the money to help one. That was how they had met years ago; but a healing horse might not be a commitment she wanted to make.

"I've thought about trying her bit-less, she responds really well to leg pressure and it would be a sign of trust from her rider; but when she doesn't have a committed rider it doesn't seem fair." Amy admitted, eyes trying to read the blonde.

Lisa didn't respond and as Georgie approached, she was distracted, the teenager updated them on the search as Grandpa went to Lisa's side; she saw them share a look. There was something they weren't saying.

When Grandpa said he planned to spend the night Amy felt her gut clench, after today she had really been looking forward to holding Lyndy and holding her tight. They could leave, they had their truck, but Ty was nodding in agreement and Lisa said Lou was coming with supplies; they were right.

"Let's take a walk." Ty took her hand, pulling her along the lit path that led towards the gate. "I was looking forward to being home tonight, but we know it's only a night; our little girl is safe."

"Things are different once a parent. I know she is safe, but I keep thinking what if she wasn't, what I'd do if someday she isn't; those poor parents must be beside themselves." She admitted, knowing she could tell him anything; safe in the fact he would understand.

"So, we spend one night away from our little girl and hope we can help them. And we know that if we ever need any help with Lyndy we have people who won't hesitate to help us." Ty told her calmly, pulling her in tight for a moment.

Darkness had settled and the only hive of activity that remained was the pavilion where cops huddled around the maps. They found a quiet bench, and sat, taking the time to decompress. When Lou arrived, they rejoined the group, she had left the girls with Mitch and brought sleeping bags, food, thermoses of coffee and supplies for the horses. Promising to come back in the morning with supplies from Maggie's for all the searchers, she reported that Caleb and Cass were planning to come up too. It didn't matter what else was going on, Hudson would pull together and make the drive up to help their own; and that mattered. They'd find Abraham and Cyla tomorrow, they had to.

…

As the kids decided to try sleeping in the trucks Jack stretched out a sleeping bag in the gooseneck of the trailer, his frame was too long to fold into a seat for the night. Lisa joined him, their saddlebags restocked for first thing.

Jack ran a hand along her arm, she was tired but tense; he knew she wasn't asleep yet. This evening had left him feeling uneasy, they had seen no signs that the children had passed through their section; and it was frustrating to be at a stand still for the night.

"What's bugging you?" Her voice soft as she leaned back into his chest.

"Nothing, that search grid just seems a little narrow to me." He sighed, he hadn't wanted to say anything in front of Georgie, but they were using the river as their border and not crossing it. "I've been up here fishing a time or two. Downriver there used to be a little footbridge, and one of the attractions listed is the rock bridge just above the rapids."

The water would be high this time of year, he wasn't sure if either of those routes would be passable but if the kids knew much about the area they would probably be interested. And he had seen both marked on the park map he had picked up. Their search area fanned out from the camp site, but it was long, rather than wide with the river as the western boundary; and they weren't crossing it. The water was high and maybe it was impassable, but more reason to search it carefully; a child would not recognize the danger signs quickly.

"We could ask for the section along the river again. I would rather Georgie not be down there anyways." Lisa spoke quietly.

"It's beyond their grid." He sighed.

"But you think it's worth looking at. We're only here as volunteers Jack, if we finish a section, we don't have to volunteer for another; it doesn't mean we stop looking." Lisa murmured, and her voice relaxed him. She could have dismissed it as frustration or worry after finding nothing today, but she didn't.

And her confidence in him mattered. He rubbed his hand along her arm and over her shoulder, they were covering ground faster on horseback, it would only take a couple hours to check it out. And there would be more people to help in the morning, it might annoy the RCMP but he wasn't too worried about that.

A bright light suddenly filled the space and as he tried to block his face Lisa turned her to his chest, an irritated sound slipping from her throat. Georgie's face emerged from the shadows as his eyes adjusted. "Can I sleep in here? It's creepy being in the truck alone."

"Us too, there is no space in our truck." Amy piped up and climbed up behind Georgie.

As the girls settled Lisa was pushed into him and Jack had to wrap an arm around her, leaning into her to try and keep his back off the metal wall. It couldn't be any more comfortable for her, but everyone fit, and he did drift off.

Or he must have as he woke, his body telling him it was time for chores, just before daybreak. Stiffly he shifted and closed his eyes, annoyed with himself as he squeezed Lisa's shoulder. He was wedged in, Jack didn't want to wake his wife, but he wasn't going to get out unless he had the space to sit up.

Lisa shifted, covering his hand with hers, then proving she was far more flexible than him, she squirmed out. As Jack followed Georgie rolled, taking the space they'd made; still sound asleep. He'd let them get a few more minutes, there wasn't too much to do until daybreak.

"Those two will be cold." Lisa murmured, and he only nodded, without the sun there was a chill in the air.

Hopefully they'd had the sense to find somewhere to curl up out of the wind. They ate leftover sandwiches as they got their horses ready for the day. Buddy knew something was up, they hadn't traveled the rodeo circuit together, so he wasn't used to living out of the trailer; and he could probably sense it in their moods. Lisa had found a spare halter somewhere in her supplies and was fussing with it as he ran his hands over his horse's legs before wrapping them. He saw her squeeze the bridge of her nose and cover a yawn as they huddled near the camp light as the shadows began to ease.

Ty emerged as they prepared to saddle their horses, he was stiff too by the way he was stretching. Amy and Georgie were not far behind, they were ready with their horses as the other searchers started to arrive. Jack walked over to where two tired RCMP officers sat by a radio, reinforcements probably wouldn't arrive until shift change; but he intended to be in the bush by then.

Lisa lay a hand on his arm as the men tried to get them to double back over the section they had covered yesterday and move away from the river, ignoring the area he pointed out; certain it was inaccessible.

"We will pass through as we follow the river. On horseback we have the advantage of a larger stride and a sensitive partner, which is an asset over rough ground, our grandchildren will help sweep the next sector." Lisa's tone was relaxed and agreeable, but her eyes were hard; the two young men didn't dare argue. He smirked to himself, their mothers probably used similar tactics and it was faster than trying to make them see his way.

As they returned to the trailer, he recognized Caleb's rig tucked in beside theirs, Amy and Ty were helping their friends tack up. He showed Ty and Caleb their new coordinates and moved to tighten Buddy cinch; turning to his wife.

"Where's your bridle?" She'd switched out the halters and was tightening Sable's cinch.

"In my saddlebags, I want to try something." Lisa murmured, giving the horse a pat as she unlooped the reins, now attached to the halter. "Amy suggested showing her some trust, we will see if it works."

…

Caleb and Cass had joined them, but she was relieved to see that her friend had one of the trail horses for the Dude Ranch. Cass's horse Spirit had calmed down a lot, but the pair were still gaining confidence as a team; Cass was becoming more confident as a rider. She gave Cass a leg up and let her get settled in the saddle as Ty and Caleb spoke with Grandpa.

Amy slipped over to where Lisa sat on Sable, Buddy ground tied nearby. "You're going to try her bit-less?"

"It's worth a shot." Lisa gave her a tight smile, and Amy patted the mare; it was a good sign. Sable was waiting patiently for them to head out but seemed to know that she had a rider on her back but no bit in her mouth.

"I think it will be a good thing. She's calm, and she will remember it." Amy smiled, maybe Sable had found her home thanks to the friend she had made in Buddy; though Grandpa would never admit that to her.

Amy slipped away and swung onto Spartan's back, Grandpa might not talk about it much, but he loved his horse. He would show it in the pride he took in his horse's skill and the care he gave Buddy, meeting his mount's needs before his own. Those were habits she had learned as a child, a responsibility to the friend who depended on you; she had learned them from her mom and from him.

As the guys mounted Amy urged Spartan to bring her in next to her husband. Ty explained the plan for the day as they cut through the trees, leaving the trail to the searchers on foot who would have to hike in. "Does Grandpa seem okay to you?"

"He's probably sore after last night." She shot him a look, they were all a little sore after last night, arthritis meant Grandpa would feel it more, but Ty didn't start to smile and glanced to the pair on dun horses weaving through the trees to the west of them. "Last night didn't help his mood but he's worried about the search grid; he thinks we should be looking on both sides of the river."

"Shouldn't we be?" Amy frowned.

"They don't seem to think so. But Jack says there are at least two possible routes. He and Lisa are going to check it out." Ty explained.

She nodded, eyes tracking to the dun horses moving further away from them; heading towards the river. Grandpa knew what he was doing, the river was dangerous right now; but if he thought those kids had crossed, he would do the same.

"Hey, if they find something, they will let us know; if the kids crossed the river, we have a whole new search grid." Ty reached for her hand and Amy forced a smile.

Soon they all spread out, in their section now, she could see Georgie on the right and Ty on the left; but she could hear Caleb further out. Amy listened instead, Georgie was calling near her, so she listened for a response; and watched the ground they covered.

Eventually they all met up at the end of the sector, giving their horses a drink and radioing in their status. Instructions came to head east and she raised her glance to Grandpa, he looked straight back at her and said nothing. As they mounted up again Grandpa and Lisa slipped away, she said nothing as the five of them fanned out into the new section; she had to trust that Grandpa would get in touch with Ty if he needed to.

But Ty paused, fiddling with his radio and Amy frowned; moving close to him again. Her husband leaned over and kissed her cheek. "It's going to be okay. Jack and I are on the same channel, Caleb has a radio too, so we will hear if anything happens and we will let them know."

"Check in with them." She eyed him but said nothing more; they didn't need to have Georgie worried too. Grandpa was stubborn, but he knew what he was doing, and he was calm; Georgie was just eager to help. She wanted her sister's friend's to be okay.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

They rode side by side along the river, Lisa called the children's names as they wove along the water's edge. There was a lot of debris from winter storms washed down from higher farther up river, likely brought down in the thaws earlier this year. It made their route challenging and he watched his wife and her mare; Sable seemed a little calmer today.

The mare's ears swiveled to Lisa and responded cooperatively to instructions. When Ty's voice crackled over the radio he sighed and reached to his hip again; Ty radioed every half hour. Lisa eased ahead as he pressed the button, asking if they had seen anything.

"Jack!" Lisa's voice was sharp, she'd brought Sable up short; fear ran up his spine.

Hooking the radio back onto his belt he urged Buddy ahead and saw what she was looking at. The little bridge he'd seen on the map was partially submerged but against the first of the rapids a tree trunk had created a water break; they could see the uneven rocks all the way across. The water pushed out to flood the sides made a muddy mess; Lisa was looking at the slew of tracks in the mud.

He swung down and eyed them; he counted four shoe patterns. The smallest was less than half the size of his boot print, and glancing up to his wife, taking her hand as he reached for the radio. He called Ty first and then, mostly because he was obligated to, he informed the RCMP that there were signs that the kids had crossed the river.

Jack frowned as they were instructed to follow the river, he glanced to Lisa; her expression was disgust. He switched the radio channel again. "Ty come to me."

Lisa dismounted and eyed him. "Can we get across?"

"I don't know." But as he studied the tracks, he knew the kids had crossed, they had walked around here for a bit, probably thinking about it; but he could only identify two sets heading back into the bush. "They will be driving out of the park, take the bridge across and the access road in get onto the trails and start their search."

It would take several hours as the area across the river was less accessible, the rest area was miles away from this point. Not to mention gathering and moving searchers to the area; they would have no more time to search than yesterday. But if they crossed here it was a different story.

He walked back up to the bridge, the first few feet were above water and as he stepped out it was solid. His wife made an annoyed sound and he turned back, reaching for the rope fastened to his saddle and took the one from hers as well.

Jack fastened one end to a tree along the shore and then eased out further until the water ran quickly around his ankles; feeling carefully ahead and to either side before he took each step. He didn't look back at his wife, he knew what her opinion would be. In the middle the water was hitting his shins and pushing hard against him; Jack kept inching forward. And then he was on the other side, wrapping the rope around the tree he pulled it tight and used piles of river rock to mark the width on the far side.

"Grandpa!" There was alarm in his grand daughter's voice and he looked up to see her standing next to his wife.

"It's safe." Well, somewhat, but it was safer than the route the kids had taken; and he crossed back without issue. "It's a solid little foot bridge."

He showed others the tracks as his mind moved to a new concern; Georgie and Cass. He crossed first with Buddy, it was a little unconventional, but he walked directly ahead of the horse and let him follow; the loyal horse crossed without issue. Lisa and Sable followed, he felt himself holding his breath, his wife's hand tight on the rope but the little mare followed her quietly.

He felt himself relax as Lisa patted the mare's neck, reaching for Buddy's reins. "Go and make sure Georgie manages it alright."

Jack nodded and slowly started back, as he did Amy had Cass mount Spartan and as he moved towards Georgie his grand daughter led her horse across. Spartan and Amy had a strong bond, he was sure that horse would follow her anywhere, and walked calmly across with her friend on his back.

Ty followed with his horse and then Caleb who passed off his reins and went back for Cass's horse. He waited for them to cross. "Hold that rope tightly Georgie."

He followed with Phoenix, Georgie was capable, but he would rather have her focused on her own safety instead of leading a horse; still a kid herself. Ty and Caleb were looking over the tracks on the shore. The boys wanted to follow the trail inland, they noticed the same thing he had; the large group of tracks only went one way.

"You guys see how far you can follow them, we'll stick to the river's edge." Jack agreed, if the kids had gotten separated out here, where they were certainly not supposed to be it answered one question; why they had seen so few signs before now. "Stay in contact."

They nodded and slowly disappeared into the trees, Amy and Ty on foot. He paused for a moment watching the young couple, feeling a surge of pride at how easily they worked together; eyes searching the ground.

He mounted and joined Lisa, picking their way along the shore. They were in the right area now and as they moved, he could hear voices calling for the kids, recognizing Georgie's voice but also some on the other side; slowly growing louder. Obstructions in the river had created a dam of sorts and the low ground on this side was flooded out. They had to watch the mud, Lisa and Sable were taking their time, the horse's black socks spattered with mud; both horses were going to need a bath after this.

…

Leading Spartan she watched the clusters of tracks, maybe it was just in her head but she figured which tracks belonged to the younger two. The strides varied, the smallest set were heavy in the toe light in the heel, the little girl had been running to keep up with her older cousins.

"Amy, Ty." Caleb called, he and Cass were just off the trail to their right. "Hey, you two. Look up."

Georgie, and their friends were in a clearing up ahead of them, it was an observation stand; likely used to watch wildlife at some point. To kids it had probably looked like a rather plain tree house; and the ladder rungs were muddy.

"They were here." Caleb said, already climbing up the ladder himself, Amy took a moment to look around; two trails branched off from the clearing; both heading back towards the river.

Ty was already looking at both and he smirked a little. "They got separated somewhere around here."

There were tracks on both paths, a mess of them going into and out of the clearing. Caleb and Cass took one and they took the other, Amy mounted again but kept watching the ground, tracks went back and forth; Georgie called for Cyla and Abraham eagerly.

When the trail came out at the river Amy glanced at Ty, Grandpa and Lisa were just ahead of them; both were dismounted. Georgie urged Phoenix up to a trot to join them. Had this been wasted time?

Ty handed her his reins and went to join Grandpa, Amy swung down and moved to join Lisa on the banks. Grandpa and Ty were down at the water's edge and Georgie wasn't far behind. "Georgie, come back up here."

"The kids went back across." Georgie called back, holding onto Phoenix's reins.

"That's not the other shore Georgie." Grandpa said slowly, his voice low; he and Ty looking up river. "It's an island of sorts, just a little spit created by the flooding."

Amy looked up too, she could see it now; where the river branched around it. It was an easy mistake to make, but as she looked back, she saw her husband stepping onto the rocks; her grandpa followed. She tensed as Grandpa and Ty waded across to the land spit, both calling for the kids.

But when her husband's head went up, he called again. "Cyla!"

Grandpa was looking too, and Amy felt her gut tighten as both took off up into the trees. They could do nothing but wait and watch, Amy mounted up again and walked Spartan along the river's edge, trying to gauge how big the island was.

Had the kids tried to cross back here, seeing the land spit and the rocks? Thinking it was where they had come over in the first place, the kids had crossed over rocks they could see rather than the partially submerged bridge; they knew the water was dangerous. It was narrower here, but the water only ran over a few of the rocks in the middle, well it was as long as the dam of debris upstream held.

"Amy!" Georgie called to her, still at the spot where Ty and Grandpa went across. "They've got them."

Clicking to Spartan she turned him back, excitement rushing through her as she went to rejoin Lisa and Georgie. Ty and Grandpa waded back into the water, each with a child in their arms. Katie's friend had his arms wrapped around her husband's neck; Amy dropped her reins and went to the edge to help. Taking the little boy's weight as Ty pulled his boots out of the mud.

"Hi Abraham. We're happy to see you." Amy couldn't help but smile, incredibly relieved but suddenly exhausted. Lisa stepped close, wrapping a blanket around the little boy before moving to do the same for the little girl in Grandpa's arms.

"You two have given everyone a good scare. I'll be you are pretty hungry." Grandpa tried shift the little girl to Lisa's arms, but it didn't work. Lisa took the radio from his belt for him, the soft smile as she offered the girl some cookies.

Georgie got more snacks and water from the saddlebags as Grandpa let Caleb and Cass know then the RCMP. The little boy practically inhaled a granola bar as they got organized to head back. Abraham was settled in front of her and Cyla was tucked in front of Grandpa; refusing to let go of him.

They met Caleb and Cass at the bridge, rearranging the riders to cross, Ty crossed twice leading his horse and then Phoenix, Lisa crossed and went back to lead Buddy while Grandpa carried Cyla. Trusting Spartan Amy rode across, Abraham tucked safely in her arms before Caleb led Cass's horse and then returned for his own horse; taking down the rope to discourage anyone else from trying to use the bridge before the water went down.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

They rode back on the trails now that they had the kids safe, it was easier on the horses and a little faster; though it still took several hours. Lisa had bundled that little girl into a blanket, but the child was not willing to go to anyone else.

Jack had ridden like this with his daughter and both of his grand daughters at one time or another; but the girls had known to sit still rather than squirm and try to hang onto him. He met his wife's eyes more than once, she was amused as he tried to keep the child balanced.

When they got down to the rest area a few people had come back in but the RCMP were still at their command center; and a pair of women came running towards them. Lisa turned Sable away quickly as the mare snorted at the incoming factor and she wasn't the only one unsure about it.

He kept Buddy heading in and Amy did the same with Spartan, but Caleb cut Spirit off; his girlfriend's horse tended to be sensitive. But as the little girl finally loosened her arms from around him and reached for one of the women, he held Buddy steady, easing the child into her arms.

With the little girl in her mother's arms he glanced to the men still at the command center, possibly the ones his wife had maneuvered around this morning; he touched the brim of his hat. Jack followed everyone else back towards their trailers.

A little blonde streak went careening across the lot and he swallowed hard as Katie went to see that her friend was okay. Lou went after her, telling her to give the family some space, he wasn't sure how much luck she would have with that but as he watched the two children collide in a hug, he felt a hand on his arm.

"That is a fine sight." He murmured quietly, wrapping an arm around his wife.

"It is." Lisa winced slightly, and he shifted his hand, if the time in the saddle hadn't left her sore getting dumped yesterday might have. But that put any ache or pain they felt in the background.

Lou got Katie out of the family's hair and brought them all coffee as they began to untack; Katie followed with cookies. They brushed out their horses and watered them. One of the officers came over to talk to him, the man hadn't been here this morning and by his stripes he was in charge now.

"We appreciate you folks coming out to help. My guys said you had some different ideas this morning..." The man leaned against the trailer.

"I've learned a few things through the years, never underestimate a child's curiosity and don't assume you can rule something out; check it." Jack murmured quietly, the issue had been dealt with; no point rehashing it. "We're just glad those kids are safe."

"Medics are checking them out now, but it just looks like a few cuts and bruises from being out in the bush." The officer explained, glancing back to where people huddled around the kids. "Story is coming out, kids didn't want to get into anymore trouble when they lost their little cousins, so they didn't say they crossed the river."

"And the younger ones tried to cross back in a different spot after they got separated. I think the lesson's been learned all around."

"I'd say so. Thank you." The man nodded and headed back towards the pavilion.

He gave Buddy one last pat and then untied the lead rope to load the horse into the trailer. Sable was already in the first spot and nickered a greeting to her friend as he closed the back of it. He had a feeling that little mare would be sticking around, he knew his wife and he'd seen her fussing with the horse's mane once she got her brushed; but he'd wait for her to say it.

…

Ty took Spartan's lead and led him into the trailer, Amy followed, glancing back to where a reunited family sat together. Her husband stepped up behind her arms wrapping around her. "Jack say's we're good to clear out."

"Let's go home then." She whispered, closing her eyes and leaning back into his chest. They could go home to their daughter, although she realized that she didn't know who Lou had left her with. "You and Grandpa were pretty brave going across to get them."

"Oh, and will my bravery be rewarded?" He asked quietly, pulling her tighter and Amy grinned.

"You'll have to wait and see." She laughed a little, turning to give him a kiss before slipping his embrace. "Take me home."

Ty laughed and let her alone, heading for the driver's side. Amy slid her hand over and rested it on his leg as they followed Grandpa out, moving slowly as more people had emerged from the bush; Lou's spread was popular with the tired searchers. She watched as people glanced towards the pavilion with smiles, patting each other on the back and reaching for a bottle of water or something to eat.

"Its pretty amazing how everyone came together, those kids were in trouble and it didn't matter what else was going on; they all came up here." Ty squeezed her hand as the truck rolled by, glancing to her with a smile.

"Yeah, it is." Amy agreed. It made her proud to be from a small town, it wasn't the first time this community had come together to help someone, they'd come together for Heartland once; it was good to be able to return the favor.

 ** _End_**

 _A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review this_ _story._


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